Some History III

The following excerpts are what I wrote while in the hospital and after our babies were born.

Thursday, January 10, 2008 3:58 PM, CST

Our ultrasound today went very well. Baby A weighed in at 1 pound 15 ounces. B followed at 1 pound 14 ounces, and C was right behind at 1 pound 13 ounces. They measure about the length of a banana and are doing well. Each baby is active and enjoying the space they each have to make flips and turns! We'll see how long that lasts!

Monday, January 28, 2008 7:08 PM, CST

My ultrasound appointment today was scheduled for 1:15. They finally came to get me around 2. But, the wait was well worth while! Everything is going well with me. There haven't been any changes since last week! Hopefully that continues. The babies are all doing well. Their heartbeats are all in the 150s. They are all active and fighting to find more space. I'm not thinking that is going to happen any time soon! They measured each of the "3 little piggies." The measurements are all +/- a few ounces. Baby A is definately a boy! He weighs around 2 pounds 14 ounces (two ounces from 3 pounds). Baby B is for sure a girl and she weighs around 2 pounds 15 ounces. And, finally, Baby C - who still is not cooperating is measuring about 3 pounds 1 ounce!!! We are very happy with those numbers. They've each gained about a pound in the past 2.5 weeks. We are hoping they continue to grow at this rate and will be a healthy weight when they are born!

• Chad is thrilled with the numbers but can't believe I have about 9 pounds of baby in me!!! :)

Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:02 AM, CST

Tuesday night was our first visit to the NICU. Chad and I were prepared for the tubes and monitors beeping, but I'm not sure we were ready for the hustle and bustle. They currently have 78 babies in the NICU and each baby has his/her own nurse. (They can hold up to 90 babies at a time - outrageous!)

We were able to see babies that were two pounds - teeny tiny little guys whose fingernails were smaller than small. We also saw a three pound baby who should be close in size to our three babies. The difference between the two pound baby and the three pound baby was very visible.

The nurse who gave us the tour handed us a diaper. Even after seeing the babies, I'm not sure how it is going to fit on a baby!!! It is sooooo small.

Now we have a lot to visualize and think about.

Last night while Chad and Shadow were here, I felt my first contraction. My nurse was in here and I asked her to feel my stomach, I wasn't sure what I was feeling, but she confirmed it. She said it isn't unusual at this point to start feeling them, my uterus is stretching and is probably thinking that nine pounds is enough! Well...we think it needs to hold off for awhile longer!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 4:35 PM, CST

Another new experience today...

Apparently at the 29-30 week point, they start monitoring the babies' heartbeats and making sure they are responsive and active. (Being active is not a problem for these kids - I don't need a test to tell me that!) This is similar to a stress test - to make sure their heartbeats rise and lower like someone's heart who is exercising would rise and lower according to their activity level.

So being hooked up to the machine, I was able to watch all three heartbeats - and hear them moving. I thought finding Baby A's heartbeat would be tough considering he is smooshed at the bottom and is the one that I don't feel as often. Proven wrong again! Babies A and C were finished with their 20 minute test in no time flat. The nurse said for 29 weeks, they registered above the norm. Princess (B) took her time warming up and although she is a mover, she apparently is laid back and doesn't get excited to easily. (As soon as she is out, that will change - high maintenance drama queen!) Anyway, it took a little longer for her to demonstrate the appropriate heart rates but the nurse assured me that her response is typical for babies at 29 weeks.

So...I get to go on a field trip every Tuesday and Friday from now on - to make sure they are all growing and responding the way they should be! This time went well, and fairly quickly. I guess we'll see if they cooperate like this on Friday!

Thursday, February 7, 2008 4:09 PM, CST

Ok...so things are changing faster that we thought.

Yesterday I was achy and had a backache that just wouldn't go away. By the time Chad came, I was having a lot of pain in my back and they were giving me Tylenol. I explained everything to the dr at 11:30 p.m. (they never go home or sleep!) and he didn't seem too concerned. At 3:30 a.m. I was up pacing the room trying to make the pains go away. Early this morning, the nurse called the dr in. He said I am dilated to a 1 or 2, nothing major right now, but that I was probably experiencing back labor. He ordered another monitoring session of the babies' heart rates to make sure they were not in distress. I had 4 contractions in the time I was being monitored and each baby reacted fine to the test. With that few of contractions, and the babies doing well, they sent me back to my room. So far, so good, thank goodness, just some discomfort with the back pain.

When I got back to my room, my nurse was waiting for me to inform me that I also have an urinary tract infection. (Great!) Apparently this type of infection can cause some of the achiness in my stomach and back. This can also be the cause of contractions at this point in a pregnancy so....maybe once that is cleared up, the rest will all go away too. We hope!!!

We knew this time would be here one day, sooner or later, now we are just hoping to make it as far as possible and then let come what may!

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers sent our way.

Thursday, February 7, 2008 9:45 PM, CST

It may be time. Chad is on his way. Labor has progressed and they are moving me to 2nd floor - Labor and Delivery. My body is shaking and my hands and feet are sweating. We'll keep you posted.

Friday, February 8, 2008 11:43 AM, CST

The babies arrived at 1:00 am on Friday, Febuary 8th. Check the photo page for pics of the babies.

Everyone is doing fine.

Saturday, February 9, 2008 9:25 AM, CST

We went to the NICU last night around 10 to see the babies. They are all doing so good! Brooke and Zach are only using oxygen to help them to remember to breathe. Luke still has a few more tubes to help him out, but he is doing fine. It was wonderful to be able to touch them. Hopefully today, we'll be able to hold them in our arms for the first time!

Chad and I were zapped yesterday and dozed off and on all day. After we went to the NICU, we crashed for the night and we both feel a lot better today! I am able to get up and down on my own now and am moving slow, but feeling good for the most part.

We would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers - we're sure that is what has gotten us to this point of having 3 little miracles!

Saturday, February 9, 2008 11:25 PM, CST

My epidural and IVs were removed tonight and after I got a refreshing shower in, we made our way to the NICU. Zach was just finishing with his bath and Brooke was getting ready to get hers. We weren't able to hold them tonight, but we were able to get up close and talk to Brooke.

All three are now being treated for jaundice. While the light is on, they have their "sunglasses" on. They each have lost a couple of ounces, but overall are doing well.

(We added the photos we took while we were down in the NICU.)

Monday, February 11, 2008 7:43 AM, CST

Yesterday, we made our way to the NICU for a visit and were told that we were able to hold the triplets during their feedings. We told them we'd be back at the 6 o'clock feeding! We got there around 6 but they had already started feeding the boys. I got to hold Brooke and I felt bad for Chad but he said he was fine with it, I was the one "itching" to get my hands on them! We began doing the "kangaroo care", which is skin to skin contact between baby and parent and probably the best feeling in the world!!! I held Brooke for about an hour and then we headed back to the room. Chad packed up some stuff and headed back home for some sleep and I made my way back to the NICU around 8:30. I was able to take their temperatures and change all their diapers and finally feel like I was able to do something for them. Luke and Zach were very laid back and just went along with my shaking hands! Brooke decided to throw a little fit while I was taking her temperature and changing her diaper. I'm sure she was demonstrating the fact that she has her daddy's attitude!!! :)

Chad is working today but coming back up tonight - hopefully he get his kangaroo care time in then! And...his diaper changes too!!!

Monday, February 11, 2008 7:34 PM, CST

While I was waiting for Chad to come up tonight, I spent some time in the NICU with the nurses. While I was there, I was able to hold Luke for awhile. They kept him swaddled and he had a hat on, so I really couldn't check him out, but was happy to be holding him just the same.

I did mention to him that his daddy would be back later to change diapers and if he wanted to leave him a "surprise," he could! We'll see what happens when Chad gets here!

Monday, February 11, 2008 11:00 PM, CST

When we got to the NICU, there was no diaper changing by Chad! Shoot...I was ready for a laugh!

I was able to change Brooke and take her temperaturewe and then we were able to spend time with Luke by giving him a bath.

After we tucked him in his isolette, we spent time with Zach and Brooke. Chad got to hold Brooke for the first time and was basically smiling the entire hour and a half that she was with him. I know he was filling her head with the wrong ideas about me, :) but at least they got their bonding time in!

Zach's respiratory rate was finicky today and I wasn't going to be able to hold him, but the nurse decided that it might be best to do the Kangaroo care with him to settle him down. I held him like that for over an hour and enjoyed every minute of it. He's a little cuddler!!!

At mid-night tonight, they are going to remove the phototherapy light which means we should be able to hold them more often. They are going to be tested tomorrow morning for the billy reuben count and if needed they'll go back under the light, and if not, no more "sunglasses"!

Now that we are back in the room, it is packing time!!! After 7 weeks, I am ready to go home - hopefully the weather holds out!!! :)

Thursday, February 14, 2008 12:23 PM, CST

Tuesday of this week was a very tough day to say the least. After 7 weeks of staying in the hospital, I was ready to go home, but...we had to leave our 3 little babies behind. Needless to say coming home was bittersweet.

On Wednesday evening we made our way back to the hospital with Kathy and Dennis. When we got there, we gave Luke and Brooke a bath and then were able to hold them. Zach's body temperature was a little low so we had to leave him in the isolette for the night. I wish Kathy and Dennis could have held one of them. :( I guess that will happen sooner or later.

They had all had a rough day yesterday and it felt good to hold them after all they went through. Their veins are so tiny, they aren't holding up well. Luke now has an IV in his head and that isn't easy to see. Brooke's IV in her foot caused problems which in turn caused her leg to swell - Kind of like mine I guess! Neither one of them was in pain, it is just hard for mom and dad!

They were going to test their billy reuben counts again this morning. We are hoping the counts are "normal." It is so good to see their eyes!

We are going back again tonight and hoping they had a better day today.